Quinta Do Vallado Douro Reserva 2011

Quinta Do Vallado - Douro
- Portugal

Professional Wine Reviews for Quinta Do Vallado Douro Reserva 2011

Rated 91 by Robert Parker

The 2010 RESERVA red is, per custom, an old vines field blend (with 80% of the grapes sourced from vines 80+ years old, and 20% Touriga Nacional from vines of approximately 20 years old). As tends to be the case with young Reservas, this is too marked by oak at the moment, but that will change. The wine is remarkably graceful otherwise while still solid in the mid-palate. It is bright and elegant. It should drink beautifully as time goes on. It finishes with a little welcome steel and tannic intensity, though, which should eventually integrate well. It is a nice performance from Vallado in the vintage....
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Professional Wine Reviews for Quinta Do Vallado Douro Reserva 2011

Rated 91 by Robert Parker

The 2010 RESERVA red is, per custom, an old vines field blend (with 80% of the grapes sourced from vines 80+ years old, and 20% Touriga Nacional from vines of approximately 20 years old). As tends to be the case with young Reservas, this is too marked by oak at the moment, but that will change. The wine is remarkably graceful otherwise while still solid in the mid-palate. It is bright and elegant. It should drink beautifully as time goes on. It finishes with a little welcome steel and tannic intensity, though, which should eventually integrate well. It is a nice performance from Vallado in the vintage. It is not a big, deep wine, but it is something that should develop tons of charm. Drink 2014-2025.

Additional Information on Quinta Do Vallado Douro Reserva 2011

Vintage: 2011

The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.

Region: Douro

The undisputed jewel in Portugal's crown is the beautiful wine region of Douro, located along the banks of the river from where it gets its name. The region itself is renowned around the world for its range of wonderfully aromatic fortified wines, as well as a wide variety of still red and white wines made from native grape varietals. Wineries in the Douro region utilize a huge amount of different local grapes for their characterful wines, but generally the most popular are made from Tinta Roriz, a rich and flavorful red wine grape related to Spain's flagship Tempranillo. However, there are plenty of different red and white grape varietals used in the region, all benefiting from the excellent hot weather and mineral rich terroir which characterizes the Douro valleys.

Country: Portugal

Most of us are quick to associate Portugal primarily with the excellent fortified wines which come out of the Porto area, but there is much more to Portuguese viticulture than just this. Perhaps the most popular still wines the country produces are the varieties from the Vinho Verde region, which uses grapes that do not achieve high doses of sugar, meaning the wines are at their best when young and full of natural, springy fruit flavors The wines of the Douro region have undergone many transformations in their flavor and character over the centuries; once regarded as a bitter wine, the exporters experimented with fortifying the wine with brandy. After several centuries, vintners found a balance in the modern age which is at once reminiscent of Port wine, yet with the structure and character closer to other fine Portuguese wines. Thanks to the appellation system of Portugal and the strict laws governing wine production, Portuguese wines continue to maintain their reputation for quality and the distinctive characteristics they carry.